Beam-compass.



No. 684,452. Patented Oct. l5, |90l. K. 0. MUEHLBERG.

BEAM COMPASS.

(Application flled Mz'ly 1B, 1901.)

(No Model.)

Elven UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KARL OSVALD MUEHLBERG, OF BRADDOCK, PENNSYLVANIA.

BEAM-COM PASS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,452, dated October 15, 1901.

Application led May 18, 1901.

To LZZ whom, it nung; concern.-

Be it known that I, KARL OSWALD MUEHL- BERG, a resident of Braddock, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Beam-Compasses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to measuring instruments, and more especially to beam compasses, although one feature thereof is also applicable to surface-gages and similar devices.

The object o f my invention is to improve measuring instruments of these descriptions to secure a greater efticiency thereof and eX- tend the scope of their use. Among the objects of my invention are to provide an improved center-point therefor, which can be manufactured much more easily and cheaply than the ordinary center-point and which is provided with improved means for locking the same; to provide such instruments and also surface-gages with improved means for adjusting the describing-point whereby the adjustment can always be accurately made and the point held firmly in its adjusted position; to provide means for attaching a pencil to the describing-point, which pencil is adjustable with the said point, and in general to improve the construction of this class of instruments, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of my improved beam-compass. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the center-point. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view, and Fig. 4 a side view of the means forsecuring a pencil to the describing-point. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view, and Fig. 6 a side elevation, of one feature of my invention applied to a surfacegage. Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 are various forms of detachable points for the centerpoint. Fig. 12 is an extension-piece for the same, and Fig. 13 is a combined center-point and scoring-knife, which may be substituted for the describing-point in the instrument.

My beam-compass is provided with the ordinary rod or beam l, rectangular in crosssection, to the outer end of which is secured the describing-point 2, as will hereinafter more fully appear, and upon which is slid- Serial No. 60,836. (No model.)

ably mounted the center-point 3. The end of the beam opposite the describing-point 2 is provided with a transverse hole, and in order to lengthen the said beam a similar sec'- tion 4 is provided on one end with a socket 5, which is adapted to receive the end of the section 1, said socket being provided with transverse holes which aline with the hole in the section 1, and a pin Gis driven into these holes to lock the two sections together. rBefore securing the section 4 ontothe section 1 the center-point will be slipped off said section ontothe section 4, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. To further lengthen' the beam, if desired, a section similar to 4 will be attached to the end thereofin thc manner just described.

The center-point 3 is provided with a transverse rectangular opening through which the beam 1 passes, and in order to facilitate the formation of this opening I make the Acenll ter-point body in two sections, as shown ,in`1 Fig. 2. The lower section 7 is provided with a screw-tapped socket 8, which is adapted :tojr

receive the screw-threaded upper section 9,". said sections having suitable slots 10 cut in' vg from their ends, which when the sections are" screwed together aline with each other to form j the opening or slot through which the beam 1 passes.

In order to `lock the point to the' beam, I provide a suitably-milled nut 11,' which Works on thefserew-threaded section 9 and which is adapted to force a washer 12 down upon the upper edge of the beam 1 to lock the point on said beam. If desired, the washer 12 may be dispensed with and the nut 1l itself made to bear against the beam.

By making the point-body in two sections, as shown, the slots v10 can be cut therein by an ordinary saw or milling-tool, so that these slots can be quickly made, whereas if the body were formed solid it`4 would be necessary to drill through the same and then file the same out in order to form the rectangular opening for the beam, which would be a very slow and expensive procedure. Furthermore, by my manner of constructing the same the slots 10 can be formed to fit the beam very snugly, and by the tightening-nut -11 the said point can be easily and firmly locked to the beam.

The lower end of the section 7 of the center? point body is provided with a screw-tapped.

socket 13, which is adapted to receivea screwthreaded shank 14 on the point 15 in order that the point may be readily detached and replaced by another, according to the work being done. I have illustrated various forms of suchinterchangeable points. In Fig. 7 the point '15 is in the shape of a large truncated cone and is intended to be used when the instrument is to be centered in a large hole. In Fig. S the point 15b is in the form of a blunt cone for centering in a hole. InFig. 9 the point 15 is provided with a conical recess 16 for centering the same on a point. In Fig. 10 the point 15(l is provided with the bent end 17 in order to adapt the instrument as a caliper, as will be hereinafter more fully explained. In this modification the screwthreaded shank 14 of the point is provided with a locking-nut 18, whereby the bent end 17 may be turned in any direction and held firmly in that position. rYIhe point 15e (shown in Fig. 11) is intended for use when the instrument is to be centered in a compara-tively deep hole or recess, the said point being long in order to extend the center-point. In such cases Wherever any special point (shown in Figs. 7 to 10) is to be used I provide an extension-piece 19, (shown in Fig. 12,).which is provided at its upper endY with a screw-threaded shank which takes into the socket 14 in the center-point body and in its lower end with ascrew-tapped socket for receiving the special form of point to be used.

The outer end of the beam 1 is provided withV a vertical socket or slot, as shown at- 20, the inner wall of which slopes from both the upper and lower sides to a point, as 21,

.which forms a pivot-bearing for the describing-point 2 and about which it can be adjusted to any desired inclination from the vertical. Tapped through the outer end of the beam and projecting into the slot or socket r2O are a pair of set-screws 22, which bear against the center-point on the side opposite the bearing-point 21, one above and the yother below said bearing-point. By merely loosening one of these screws and tightening the other the point 2 can be swung into various positions from the vertical, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. These screws are a very convenient and rapid means for adjusting the position of the point and firmly hold the same in the adjusted position Without liability of slipping, as is possible iu the ordinary form of beam-Compasses. A bowspring 24 bears against the point 2 and prevents the same slipping through or falling out of the socket 20 when the screws 22 are loosened. This mode of adjusting the point may also be applied to a surfacegage, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, wherein is shown a block or bracket 25, which can be adjusted vertically on the standard 2G and held at any 'position by the set-screw 27. This block or bracket is provided with a slotor socket 20, across which passes a 'pin 21, which serves as the pivot-bearing for the point 2. Tapped through the block 25 opposite the pin 21 and Y In order to secure a pencil to the describ.-

ing-point 2 or 2, I provide a suitable clip or block 29, which is provided with two parallel 'YVY vertical holes, one for receiving the'pencil 30 andthe other for receiving the point 2, Y suitable set-screws 3l being provided for holding the pencil in the clip and the clip onto the point 2. Vhen the pencil is thus secured to the point 2, it is capable of adjustment with said point in the manner just described,

and suchpencil may be attached either to the point in the beam-.compass shown in Iiig.V

1 or the surface-gage shown in Fig. 6. The point 2 is shown as provided with a bent upper end 33, and said point canbe re-A versed in the socketY 20, so that the end 33 will be below the beam.

can be used as an inside caliper. These ad- Y Y Y Y- justments are possible by reason Yof the fact that the nut 18 will hold the point 15d with W'hen thus re-V versed, the center-point 15d (shown in Fig.. Y 10) is screwed into the center-body and the' VlooV g the end 17 projecting in either direction, andv 1^ the set-screws 22 will hold the point 2 with the bent end 33 projecting in either direction. Y Y

The point 2 can be entirely removed from the instrument and in its place the device its outer end, said devicebeing providedY at its opposite end with a sharpened edge 3G,V

which Will serve as a scoring instrument.

It will be observed that by the several improvements above described the utility and l Y scope of the instrument are very greatlyrex-Y tended,and the adjustment ofthe describingpoint is such that it can be easily made and firmly held in position, while the special con- Y struction of the body of the center-point is .Y such that it can be easily and cheaply manu'- Y shown in Fig. 13 substituted, which deviceis f i provided at one end with a conical point, which will serve to center the instrument at Y f 2. In a measuring instrument, adescribingpoint, a socket in which the same is held, a pivot projection in said socket bearing on one side of the point, set-screws bearing against the opposite side of the point on opposite sides of the pivot projection, and means bearing frictionally against said point.

3. In a measuring instrument, a describingpoint, a socket in which the same is held, a pivot projection in said socketbearin g against one side of the point, set-screws bearing against the opposite side of the point on opposite sides of the pivotl projection, a pencilholder, and means for securing the same t0 said point.

4. In a beam-compass,the combination With an eXtensible beam, a center-point adjustably mounted thereon, a describing-point, said beam being provided with a socket at its outer end in which said point is mounted,said socket having a pivot projection bearing on one side of the point, and set-screws bearing against the opposite side of the point above and below the pivot projection.

5. In a beam-compass, a center-point comprisin ga lower section provided with a socket, an upper section fitting in said socket, said sections being provided with slots cut into their ends which When the sections are fitted together form an opening for the beam, and means for securing said sections together.

G. In a beam-compass, a center-point comprising a lower section having a screw-tapped socket, and an upper screw-threaded section fitting into said socket, said sections being provided with end slots which aline when the sections are fit-ted together and form an opening through which the beam passes.

7. In a beam-compass, a center-point comprisinga lower section provided with a screwtapped socket, an upper screw-threaded section fitting in said socket, said sections being provided with alining end slots, and a clamping-nut Working on the screw-threaded upper section.

8. In a beam-compass,the combination with a beam,a center-point slidably mounted thereon, said point comprising a lower section provided With a screw-tapped socket, an upper screw-threaded sect-ion fitting in said socket, said sections being provided with alinin g end slots through which the beam passes.

9. In abeamcompass,the combination with abeam,acenterpoint slidablymouuted thereon, said point comprising two sections provided With alining end slots, and a followernut Working on vone of said sections and bearing against the beam.

In testimony whereof I, the said KARL G. MUEHLBERG, have hereunto set my hand.

KARL OSWALD MUEHLBERG.

Witnesses:

G. C. RAYMOND, ROBERT C. TOTTEN. 

